Molds and process for using the same



March 23, 1965 W- L. WOQD MOLDS AND PROCESS FOR USING THE SAME Filed Jan. 30, 1962 IN VENTOR. W41. TER L. W000 OER/AM & BLACKHAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,174,188 MOLDS AND PROCESS FOR USING THE SAME Walter L. Wood, Santa Ana, Calif. (1300 E. Balboa Blvd., Balboa, Calif.) Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,864 2 Claims. (Cl. 18-36) This invention pertains to new and improved molds and to processes for using the same. At the present time the art with respect to the construction of a number of different types of structures is undergoing a great deal of change. To a large extent this change is a consequence of the availability and reliability of many new materials of construction such as, for example, fiber glass polyester compositions, phenolic or melamine type surfaces for different types of boards and the like. As a consequence of this gradual change there is a need at the present time for new and improved methods of bonding two different members to one another so as to form a joint which is sufficiently rigid for many building purposes.

This latter can be explained in more detail by referring to what is presently believed to be a very important field in which the present invention will be utilized. For many years bathrooms and various similar rooms in which water is encountered have been manufactured by conventional constructional steps including a final step of applying waterproof material to the surfaces of such rooms. Thus, for example, many houses in use at the present time have conventional stud walls carrying waterproof tile surfaces. The steps involved in creating comlete structures as described in the preceding sentences or related structures are relatively time-consuming and expensive. As a result of this a great many efforts have been devoted to improving the art of providing waterproof constructions for various purposes.

Many of these efforts have centered about the utilization of boards of fibrous materials capable of being affected by water with a resin sheet or film capable of withstanding the effects of moisture and capable of withstanding various other deleterious influences. Many of these boards have been used in the past; they have been primarily employed together with various types of metal fastenings and the like which are utilized to secure these boards in such a manner that the edges of them are at least partially protected against water or other influences. These results, although widely utilized, are not considered to be satisfactory to a desired degree.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved molds and processes for using the same which can satisfactorily be employed at a comparatively nominal cost so as to join two different members such as the coated boards referred to in the preceding paragraph to one another. A related object of the present invention is to provide molds and processes as indicated which are comparatively simple and inexpensive to construct and are comparatively simple and inexpensive to utilize respectively. A related object of the present invention is to provide molds and processes as indicated which enable complete sections of structures to be easily and conveniently manufactured either in a factory or on a job site as may be desired.

These and various other objects of this invention, as well as many specific advantages of it, will be apparent from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this specification, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a joint created in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 illustrating the use of a mold of this invention in creating the joint shown in the preceding figures; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the principal portions of this mold.

The accompanying drawing is primarily intended so as to clearly illustrate the nature of a presently preferred mold of this invention and of the type of joint created utilizing this mold. From a careful consideration of this drawing and the remainder of this specification those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will realize that other differently appearing molds and differently appearing joints can readily be created on the basis of this disclosure through the use or exercise of routine engineering skill or ability.

As an aid to understanding this invention it can be stated in essentially summary form that it concerns molds which have mold surfaces containing vacuum grooves, sealing grooves and sealing means located within these sealing grooves and the use of these molds. These surfaces are designated in such a manner that two members to be joined together can be located against them. When members are positioned against these mold surfaces air is exhausted from the vacuum grooves, pulling the members up against the sealing means, and this vacuum is continued as material necessary to form a joint between the two members is located in the area of the desired joint and set up so as to form a complete joint which is bonded to the two diiferent members.

As an aid to understanding the present invention reference can be made directly to the accompanying drawing. Hence there is shown a joint 10 created in accordance with this invention so as to secure the edges 12 of two different members 14 to one another. Each of these members is of a type commonly used for kitchen counters, bathroom walls and the like and includes a front, water impervious, laminated coating 16 such as a known coating out of a epoxy, phenolic melamine or similar composition. Preferably this resin is formed out of a polyester resin. From a consideration of the joint 10 it will be seen that the particular joint illustrated consists of two layers 18 and 20. The layer 18 has a surface 22 of a smooth character designed to be visible at all times. This layer 18 isprirnarily designed for appearance purposes, and is bonded to the layer 20 and to adjacent portions of the edges 12. The layer 20 overlies the entire layer 18, the edges 12 of the members 14 and portions of the backs 24 of these members 14. This layer 20 is bonded to all of the portions of the members 14 contacted by it and serves to provide structural rigidity to the entire joint 1%.

In manufacturing this joint a mold 30 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing is employed. This mold 30 has the general shape of an elongated V channel having two flat surfaces 34 located at right angle to one another and separated from one another by means of a curved edge 36 corresponding in configuration to the configuration of the surface 22. Each of the surfaces 34 includes a centrally located 'vacuum groove 38 which is parallel to.

3 and spaced from the edge 36 and which extends substan tially the entire length of the mold 30, but which is shorter than the length of this mold. Each of the grooves 38 is surrounded by means of a continuous sealing groove 40 which is spaced a comparatively short distance from a groove 38. The grooves 49 are designed so as to hold elastomeric sealing members 42 which normally project from the surfaces 34 a comparatively short distance prior to the mold 36 being employed. Although conventional neoprene, rubber or similar O-rings can be used as these sealing members 42 presently preferred results have been achieved utilizing resilient, flexible rubber tubing as the sealing members 42. These results are considered to be a consequence, of the flexibility of such tubing caused by its hollow interior.

Each of the surfaces 34 also includes an elongated bleed groove 44 which is positioned parallel to the curved edge 36 adjacent to and parallel to the position to be occupied by the edge 12 of a member. 14 during the use of the mold 30. Each of these bleed grooves 44 are open to the atmosphere at at least one of the extremities of the mold 30; the bleed grooves 44 are located on the sides of the sealing grooves 40 remote froma vacuum grooves 38. The mold 30 also includes at least one tapped hole 46 leading to a center portion of each of the vacuum grooves 38. These holes 46 are joined by means of conventional piping 48 and fittings 50 to an appropriate source of a vacuum (not shown) when the mold 30 is being prepared for use.

When it is desired to utilize the mold 30 it is preferred, but not always necessary to coat the surfaces 34 and the edge 36 with an appropriate conventional mold release such as, for example, a conventional composition wax. Where such an agent is not used preferably the mold itself is formed out of material which is either incapable of, or substantially incapable of forming a bond with the material utilized in forming the layer 18. Next the members 14 to be joined together are located against the surfaces 34 as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawing and a vacuum is created within the vacuum grooves 38 by pulling air from Within these grooves through the piping 48. This in turn causes the members 14 to be pulled substantially flush against the surfaces 34, compressing the sealing members 42 generally to within the sealing grooves 40.

At this point the layer 18 may be created by applying to the edge 36 of the mold 30 between the edges 12 and the members 14 a fluid or fluid-like composition which is of such a nature that as it is applied it will tend to stay in place and which subsequently iscapable of bonding to the portions of the edges 12 engaged by it and capable of forming a substantially rigid coating either as a consequence of the reaction of a catalyst within this CD111? position, or as a result of the application of other infiuences such as heat serving to polymerize this material. This initial layer 18 is commonly referred to as a gel coat and may contain a significant quantity of pigments or the like designed to make this coat have a pleasing, esthetic appearance with respect to the coatings 16 or the members 14. Suitable gel coats of the type herein described are well known at the present time. Preferably they are based upon catalyzed polyestersstyrene resin systems although other resin systems can be employed.

Either before the layer 18 has become structurally strong or at any time thereafter while the members 14 are held against the mold 30 the layer 20 may be created by applying to the various areas of the members 14 indicated in FIG. 2 and to the layer 18 the material composing this layer 20. Normally this layer 20 is composed of substantially the same type of material used in creating the layer 18 containing a significant proportion of reinforcing fibers such as fiber glass fibers sufiicient to give the layer 18 structural stability in the final product. Such material should be of such a nature that it will tend to stay in place when applied. It may be applied by spraying or other means, The material used in creating the layer 20 need not be pigmented since it is not normally seen in the joint 10. This layer 20 is next allowed to become sufiiciently rigid for structural purposes as through the action of a catalyst contained within the composition used in creating it or through the action of other known polymerization means. As this layer 20 becomes rigid it will be bonded to the layer 18 and to the portions of the members 14 contacted by it.

After these operations have been completed the air pressure within the grooves 32 can be returned to normal and the mold 30 can be removed from the joint 10. If desired, air under pressure can be supplied to the grooves 38 in order to facilitate the removing of the mold 30.

During the foregoing operations and in particular during the creation of the layer 18 the bleed grooves 44 serve an important function in defining the edges of the layer 18 and the joint 10 so that these edges are substantially straight and present a desirable appearance. In the event the vacuum utilized during the foregoing proceeding is not completely sealed by the sealing members 42 air is pulled past the sealing members 42; such pulling action tends to pull the material from which the layer 18 is created between the coating 16 and the surfaces 34, and the movement of the materialfrom which the layer 18 is created is effectively stopped .by the atmospheric pres sure within the bleed grooves 44. As a result of this there is no danger or consequence of a jagged, undesirable appearing edge being created along the layer 18.-

Utilizing the mold 30 described in the preceding along with the steps set forth in the preceding discussion it is possible to create all of the joints necessary to form the complete interior walls of a room, such as a bathroom, out of various sheets of material such as the members 14 containing the coatings 16. This is considered to be extremely significant in the construction art and is-considered to relate to the ability of complete prefabricated structure such as bathrooms to be manufactured in a factory prior to their being transported and installed at a job site.

An important factor with respect to the joint 10 created as described in the preceding is its smooth waterproof character as well as the fact that it does not contain any cracks, crevices, ledges or the like which could accumulate dirt or other contaminators. This joint is also airtight due to the bond between the layer 18 and the coating 16.

Obviously however, the mold 30 can be employed in other different manners to create other structures. This mold 30 may, of course, be modified in a number of different ways. The angle between the surfaces 34 in the particular mold 30 shown can be varied in order to create different types of joints. Various other modifications of a similar routine engineering nature may be made in the mold 30 without departing from the nature of this invention as defined in the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

1 claim:

1. A mold for use in joining two separate members to one another, said mold including:

a mold part having two surfaces, each of said surfaces being adapted to receive a member to be joined to another member, said surfaces being separated from one another by a curved edge of said mold part, each of said surfaces having a vacuum groove located therein and a sealing groove located completely around said vacuum groove and a separate bleed groove extending between a part of said sealing groove and said edge, said bleed grooves being open to the atmosphere, said mold part including means for exhausting air from said vacuum grooves; and

an elastomeric sealing means located ,within each of said sealing grooves so as to extend completely around said vacuum grooves.

2. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said elastomeric sealing means normally extends from the sealing groove within which it is located and wherein said elastomeric sealing means are compressed into said sealing grooves when members are located against said surfaces and air is exhausted from sald vacuum grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Violette Mar. 21, 1950 Kusaik Oct. 16, 1951 Beach Aug. 11, 1953 Brewster Jan. 10, 1956 Tyler Mar. 27, 1956 Dittmore et a1. May 12, 1959 Ludlow et a1. Nov. 29, 1960 Korotkevick Mar. 7, 1961 Lusher et al. Mar. 27, 1962 

1. A MOLD FOR USE IN JOINING TWO SEPARATE MEMBERS TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID MOLD INCLUDING: A MOLD PART HAVING TWO SURFACES, EACH OF SAID SURFACES BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A MEMBER TO BE JOINED TO ANOTHER MEMBER, SAID SURFACES BEING SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY A CURVED EDGE OF SAID MOLD PART, EACH OF SAID SURFACES HAVING A VACUUM GROOVE LOCATED THEREIN AND A SEALING GROOVE LOCATED COMPLETELY AROUND SAID VACUUM GROOVE AND A SEPARATE BLEED GROOVE EXTENDING BETWEEN A PART OF SAID SEALING GROOVE AND SAID EDGE, SAID BLEED GROOVES BEING OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID MOLD PART INCLUDING MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING AIR FROM SAID VACUUM GROOVES; AND AN ELASTOMERIC SEALING MEANS LOCATED WITHIN EACH OF SAID SEALING GROOVES SO AS TO EXTEND COMPLETELY AROUND SAID VACUUM GROOVES. 